The present invention relates to electronic digital timepieces, and in particular to an electronic digital timepiece having a stopwatch function and a timer function in addition to the standard timekeeping function.
In recent years, a variety of electronic digital timepieces have been developed incorporating various functions. These include electronic digital timepieces having both a stopwatch (sometimes referred to as a chronograph) function and a timer function. When such a timepiece is in the stopwatch mode of operation, then counting up, in units of seconds or tenths of seconds generally, is performed starting from a point in time which is designated by the user actuating an operating member. In the timer mode of operation, counting down is performed, starting from an initial time value which has been preset by the user, is performed. Since these functions are fundamentally similar in nature, although opposite in direction of counting, it is common to utilize the same elements of the timepiece display to indicate the time count during stopwatch and timer operation. In such a timepiece, therefore, it is desirable to provide some means for indicating to the user that the stopwatch or the timer mode of operation has been established. It is also desirable to provide some means for indicating that operation is actually taking place, in the operating mode which has been established, or that operation has been suspended. With conventional electronic timepieces having both stopwatch and timer functions, such indicating means have been provided by additional display elements, driven by additional electronic circuitry, so that the amount of display area required and the degree of circuit complexity are increased.